NBA Re-Draft Suggests 76ers Got a Steal With Duke’s Jared McCain

Jared McCain goes high in an NBA Draft.

Mar 31, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Jared McCain (0) and center Kyle Filipowski (30) react in the first half against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the finals of the South Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at American Airline Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Going into the 2024 NBA Draft with the 16th overall pick, the Philadelphia 76ers were expected to trade away the selection for a veteran player. The Daryl Morey philosophy was to prioritize veteran players who fit the “win-now” timeline over young prospects with no experience in the league.

Sitting on the clock at No. 16, Morey and the Sixers had a potential trade available to them. Ranking Duke’s Jared McCain as a top 10 prospect on their big board, the Sixers felt they were getting better value in the rookie. Bleacher Report’s 2024 NBA Re-Draft justifies that decision.

On draft night last year, the San Antonio Spurs picked up Stephon Castle with the fourth-overall pick. The re-draft suggests they hit a home run as Castle goes No. 1 overall in this situation.

With Castle no longer on the board, the Spurs pick up McCain in this scenario, creating a 12-spot jump for McCain, who had a small but strong sample size of production during his rookie effort.

Heading into the 2024-2025 NBA season, the Sixers weren’t sure if McCain could crack the rotation. Early on, there was some discussion about him potentially picking up G League action if a lack of playing time kept him on the bench for too long.

Injuries off the bat left the Sixers with no choice but to utilize McCain. The rookie would quickly show that he’s ready for the main stage every night. Winning a spot in the rotation with an occasional start, McCain was the early Rookie of the Year favorite.

“Jared McCain was tracking toward runaway Rookie of the Year honors before a left knee injury prematurely ended his season. He would have a stronger case over any of the three in front of him if he played more. But the 23 games in which he appeared more than proved his utility as a shot-maker.” via BR

A knee injury called for surgery in November. Although he didn’t have an initial timeline put in place, McCain was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the 2024-2025 NBA season. He wrapped up the season with 23 games played, eight of which were starts. The rookie saw the court for roughly 26 minutes per game.

McCain proved to be a valuable scorer off the bench, averaging 15 points per outing. After a strong shooting season from three in college, the deep-ball translated well in the NBA, as McCain knocked down 38 percent of his threes on six attempts per game. And despite being viewed as undersized by NBA standards, McCain impressed with his defense.

The original draft saw 15 players go ahead of McCain. In this case, it’s just Castle, Alex Sarr, and Zaccharie Risacher.

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